Los Angeles Dodgers hitter Shohei Ohtani scripted history on Thursday, 19th September, after becoming the first player to record 50-50 feat (50 home runs and 50 stolen bases) in a single Major League Baseball (MLB) season. With reaching this feat, Ohtani received heaps of praise from the USA to Japan. Ohtani signed a ten-year $700 million contract with Los Angeles Dodgers in the offseason.
How did Shohei Ohtani reach the historic feat?
In the match against the Miami Marlins on Thursday, Ohtani was in a league of his own after registering a stellar performance. He capped off a 6-for-6 night with 10 RBIs, three home runs and two stolen bases. It helped the Dodgers beat Miami 20-4 at the LoanDepot Park.
After reaching the historic feat, congratulatory messages started to come in for the hitter for the Dodgers. But, there was someone even more special who congratulated the Japanese international and it was none other than the Japanese Ambassador.
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The Japanese Embassy in DC released a statement from Ambassador Yamada who on X wrote, "Congratulations to Shohei Ohtani on making @MLB history! As the first player to hit 50 home runs & steal 50 bases in the same season, he has brought people in Japan and the US together in celebration of our love of baseball and his unmatched talent."
Shohei Ohtani's feat headlines Japanese newspapers
While Shohei Ohtani reached the 50-50 feat, it was still nighttime in America but daytime in Japan. Ohtani's performance was so remarkable that it captured the Japanese newspapers headlines.
The top spokesperson from Japan, Yoshimasa Hayashi was so happy after knowing about Ohtani's feat and told the reporters, "We would like to congratulate him from the bottom of our heart. We sincerely hope Mr. Ohtani, who has already accomplished feat after feat and carved out a new era, will thrive further."
The news of what Shohei Ohtani had achieved had already reached his hometown in northern Iwate region. The NHK broadcast captured a woman handing out the newspaper as she said, "As a fellow Iwate native, I'm proud of him."
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